I decided at the last moment to make a storage bag for the baby quilt that was off to San Diego earlier this week.
I wanted to use the Jeni Baker of In Color Order drawstring bag pattern, but for a variety of reasons it wasn’t available. I have made enough of those drawstring bags that I have an idea of how to make them.
I used the steampunk fabric from Feather Your Nest in Gresham. The fabric paired well with some black and white stripes I had available. It is also perfect for my niece.
This pouch is for Lindsay’s daughter, A. A has a new brother and I didn’t want to bring him a gift without one for her. Mama loves Tula, so she got some Tula fabric in her bag.
This is a cute little pouch that is good for a little girl, though I don’t think it is good for much else. At least I can’t think what I would use it for. How would you use it? The first one I made went into the Pink Project Bag.
This is Enigma #5. I do like this pattern! I like the way it looks and how functional it is.
You don’t get to see the all the steps, because I have so much to write about and so much to sew that I am just posting the completed bag now.
Paris Enigma Bag – bottom
Lil Sissy was admiring my Peony Enigma bag when she visited us in Portland. She didn’t ask for one, but I decided to make her one any way. Her birthday was July 26, so I had about a week to make it when I returned. I had a week or so in between everything else – niece’s wedding, YM visiting, etc.
I had to quilt the bottom and I am never happy about quilting, but I am pleased with how this quilting came out.
I made two of these at the same time. You will see the other one later. Making the same bag multiple times makes them go together faster, but also means I can pay attention to the details. I was able to select which side panel would work for the top and which would be better for the front without a lot of drama. Since I knew what to expect, I could think about the finer details.
Paris Enigma Bag – zipper end
I also found a good place for my label and was able to add it in the course of making the inside pocket.
The zipper end was a pain, but ending up coming out well.
My youngest nephew graduated from high school in June. He is not going to college right now, so is missing out on some of the experiences his older brother and cousin had.
While I was on vacation, I decided that he needed pillowcases anyway. He wants to travel, so I chose a travel theme. I was able to buy several prints that I will use, but I’ll need to get more to fill out the year.
These pillowcases will be quick wins in terms of fabric usage, too.
A few months ago, I wrote a post about gifts for Carrie. I thought I would write one for the gifts I have made for Sue as well. I thought I had made more, but I have only been making bags for her since the pandemic.
Even though the EPP Ball #4 isn’t finished, I made a start on EPP Ball #5. If I get this one done, I can stuff them both at the same time.
A lot of the fabrics are the same as EPP Ball #4, but I tried to make them a little different. The photo shows the arrangement of the second half of EPP Ball #5.
Back in April, I talked about making Lined Drawstring Bags using the pattern from Jeni Baker of In Color Order for Gerre and Carrie. I mentioned that I made three of them, but didn’t elaborate on the third one. That is because I made it for Sue who doesn’t have a birthday until today. I finally gave her her bag the other day.
As I said before, I love this pattern. It goes together very well and is useful, too.
I have made major progress on the EPP Ball I started the other day. I had some bits of yarn from the scarf and a few threads that I already stuff inside, but I am going to stuff it more with some Fiberfill** I have.
The next step is to finish stuffing it and sew it closed. These do not take long to make and it is satisfying to see it come together so quickly. Progress!
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, please click on the link in my post above. I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
After finishing my knitted scarf, I decided to make another EPP ball. I have three babies in, or adjacent, to my life who will enjoy them.
I started sewing this one while chatting with my sister and my Mom. All of a sudden my sister looked at me and asked if I had done all that work while we were sitting there. I said yes and she was amazed.
It reminded me that sitting and sewing while talking is a great way to get things done. My grandmother was always working on something when I was a child.
I fixed the Cane Chain. Well, really I remade the Cane Chain using new fabric, but the same hardware**. I am not confident that it won’t fail again, but we will see. Stay tuned for a review from Mom.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I gave the Cane Chain to Mom and got it back fairly quickly as it had failed. I was upset as that was not my intention and she fell once (before not as a result of this fail-whew) trying to retrieve her cane. Fortunately, this fail did not cause any accidents.
Along with the item came instructions. She didn’t like the feel of the webbing and she needed it an inch or so longer.
Now I plan to make another, but use the same hardware, if I can. I plan to make it out of fabric and make the spot where the hardware clamps on thicker so it doesn’t pull out. I may use some Decovil or the thick Pellon interfacing.
